Orange
by TheSweetRevenge
Summary: Len x Rin. It became a routine to go home together and watch the sky until nightfall, and the sunset and its particular shade of orange somehow became their thing, and nobody else could have it.


Based on 'Orange' by ShounenT, one of my favorites. Ryoukun's version is particularly pretty~ Give it a listen if you haven't yet!

Lyrics by ShounenT, translation partially credited to Miku's Music Time.

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><p>Five-thirty. The sky was orange, the orange of sunset, just how it should be considering the time.<p>

Somehow, today, it was much darker. Len looked up and blinked at the sun, half-obscured by clouds that had also managed to gain a reddish tint.

Inwardly, he cursed the sky. He cursed the shade of orange it was and the wretched memories the stupid shade of orange held.

After a second, he sighed and continued to walk. It was just another moment. He had stopped keeping track of those—he had no reason to anymore. Really, he felt as if he didn't have a reason for _anything _anymore.

Along the way home, he didn't know how much later, he came across a puddle and made the mistake of looking straight down at it. Again— that godforsaken orange sky was reflected on the water. Something dropped into it; he watched as ripples distorted the perfect mirror-like surface. Again, another ripple, just beside the first, and in a daze he noticed they were his tears. He was crying.

Why?

The question echoed in his head as he let himself fall to his knees. All of a sudden, he felt as if his heart would explode, as if tiny little chains were wrapping around it and slowly tightening just so he would hurt. He felt as if couldn't breathe, but as sobs wracked his body, he knew that somehow he _was_ breathing.

The sky was still orange. He wanted to scream at it, as if it would make it go away, but when he opened his mouth all he could do was choke back another sob.

And like that color always did, though now it was the last thing he wanted it to do, it reminded him of _her_.

How in freshman year, on the second day of school just after club activities, he saw her standing in the corner of the classroom, her eyes searching for nothing in the late afternoon sky, its bright orange glow lit up her face and he wondered, wondered _how _in the world he hadn't noticed her before that.

How the first time he talked to her was when they were put in the same group for cooking during last period, and she asked him if they wanted to buy ingredients together.

How the first time they went home together was on the same day, and as he walked her to her house, not at all that far from his own, they both watched the sky as its orange faded to an inky dark blue.

How the two of them became friends, somehow always seeing each other after club and watching the late, orange sky just for a little bit every day, just like she had been doing that second day of school.

How, during his first February of knowing her, she gave chocolates to every guy in class during valentine's day, including him, and how he swore to the sky, later that day, that he would be the only one she'd be giving chocolates to the next year.

How they both somehow managed to confess on the same day at the same time and laughed like mad to hide how happy and embarrassed they both really were.

How it became a routine to go home together and watch the sky until nightfall, and how the sunset and its particular shade of orange just became _their_ thing, and nobody else could have it.

How their first kiss during the cultural festival was under a darkening orange sky, when they'd both sneaked out of their class' haunted house exhibit to goof around.

How, on their first fight, he turned and left, and all he could see was the orange of the sky, and no matter how mad he was, it made his heart ache and he just _had _to turn back, because he realized he loved her and it didn't matter how angry he was, he just didn't want to lose her.

How on their last fight, he turned, and he didn't turn back, because he didn't look at the sky, and the next day she'd looked at him with so much in her eyes that he just wanted to run to her and hold her in his arms, but he wouldn't let himself because he just felt so _betrayed_.

And how everything was cleared up some time later and it turned out he wasn't betrayed at all, but they both stayed away because of their pride and it ripped them apart.

And how the orange of the sky did nothing but haunt him, and how he pretended he didn't care but he _did_, oh he did, and he missed her, and the orange sunset- _their _sunset.

And now he was crying because he never let himself, and in his mind he wanted the sky to be _their _sky again, because he realized that he wasn't himself without it. So he wiped his tears away, and forced himself to stop sobbing, and brushed the dirt off his hands and he stood and turned, turned back this time, and he looked at the sky—_their_ sky, he thought, and ran.

Because he knew, he just _knew_ he'd never be able to live his life without her again, because when the orange sky was just for the two of them, how could he ever?

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><p><em>your figure floating in the orange-colored classroom<em>

_the look on your face as you searched for something in the sky by the window_

_and your smiling face as we talked and laughed on the way home_

_they still cause me great pain_

O r a n g e

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><p>Somehow, this made less and less sense as it went on so…<p>

Ehe, sorry! orz

**Edit:** Minor changes. Sorry for the repost~


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